Golf bag and stand



Dec. l, 1953 w. sANDs GOLF BAG AND STAND Filed Sept. 18. 1950 INVENTOR. Murs/P S14/Yps Y QALW 'l F'LZ'E 4 rltlllllllllllll in E M/L Arrow/Ey.:

FILE-'r' E' Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in golf bags and stands therefor by means of which the bag is held in an erect position when not being carried about the course, and in such manner as to facilitate the removal and replacement of the golf clubs.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a golf bag and attached stand of simple and practical construction wherein the stand comprises a pair of foldable legs which normally lie immediately alongside the bag, completely out of the way, but which may be conveniently unfolded into diverging positions so that1 along with the bag itself, a tripod will be formed in order to very firmly support the bag .upon the ground.

Another and important object of my invention is to provide a bag and associated oldable stand and means whereby the necessary folding and unfolding movements of the stand may not only be carried out extremely conveniently but in an almost automatic manner. In accordance with the usual custom the golf bag of my invention is provided with a shoulder strap for carrying and this strap is associated with the foldable stand in such manner as to swing the legs thereof between their folded and unfolded positions by manipulations of the strap. ln other words, the golfer in removing the bag from the shoulder, will place the lower end upon the ground and then by pressing downward, the stand legs will be unfolded and the bag will remain in position to best present the golf clubs for selection and use. After the shot is then made, the golfer will normally piel: up the bag by 'the strap and the resulting 'upward pull thereon will immediately and automatically refold the stand legs.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a golf bag having two opposed angularly related or diverging side surfaces and with the legs of the golf bag stand pivoted to such surfaces so that they will be automatically flared apart to diverging positions as they are unfolded. A related object is the provision furthermore, of an entirely new and neat shape for the bag itself, as a logical development from the shape of the bag to provide the aforesaid leg diverging side surfaces.

A further object of my invention is to provide a stand assembly for golf bags which is inexpensive to manufacture and to apply to the bags but which is durable in construction and neat in appearance.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a golf bag and stand according to my invention and showing the legs of the stand in their normaler folded Positions.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation but showing the stand legs unfolded to assume a tripod supporting arrangement with the bag itself and with the bag in a tilted but erect position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the golf bag and stand in the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlargedside elevation of the upper end portion of the golf bag and stand with the r latter in the famed position.

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged sectional detail taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is another enlarged, sectional detail taken along the line 6-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a. detached perspective view of the guide and stop bracket forming part of the stand assembly.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, to about thescale of Figs. 1 through 3, but showing a golf bag of octagonal shape and particularly well adapted to application of the standassembly of my invention.

Referring now more particularly and byV reference characters to the drawing, the golf bag forming part of my invention is designated generally at i9 and it may of course be fabricated from any of the various types and combinations of materials used for such bags, it being desirable for the application'of the stand that the upper end of the bag be reinforced or made of double thickness for some distance downward, as designated at l I. This upper end of the bag is of course open for the insertion and removal of the golfr` clubs while the opposite lower end l2 is closed to hold the clubs in place in the bag. While golf rbags have heretofore usually been either round or oval in cross section, and I may as a matter of fact employ my stand assembly with such shapes, I prefer to form the bag to the shape shown in Fig. 3 with two opposed, angularly related, .flat side surfaces as .designated at i3. For convenience sake, this portion of the bag will be referred to as the back thereof and these at, angular portions I3 flare or diverge l in a forward direction toward .the rounded front Hl of the bag. The application of my golf bag stand to the bag is vfurtl'ier facilitated by joining these flat side portions i3 with a narrow vflat back portion i5 as clearly shown in the drawing. The purpose of the angular side portions I3 and their value in the operation of the stand will presently appear but at this point attention is invited to Fig. 8 wherein is shown a bag octagonal cross sectional shape wherein the shape and angle of the portions I3 and I5 are duplicated. at 13a and |5a at the front of the bag and joined by narrower flat sides I6. This shape for the bag is found not only to be well adapted to the use of my stand, but it also provides a bag of neat and attractive appearance as will be ap parent.

My improved golf bag stand comprises legs I1 of metal rod or tubing, one for each side of the bag, adapted to swing from the folded position of Fig. l, whereat they lie immediately alongside the side portions I3 of the bag, to the unfolded or operative portions of Fig. 2 where the legs stand in diverging relation toV act as a tripod with the bag and support the latter in its inclined erect position. The legs I1 are provided with suitable tips I8 at their lower ends and near their upper ends they are reversely bent toform the substantially U-shaped loops I9, the spaced and parallel portions of which are held against pivot plates 2| by means of clips 22. 'Ihese clips 22 have rolled ends 23 which engage the portions 20 and are pivotally held against the reinforced upper sides of bag by means of rivets 24. The plates 2| are interposed between the sides of the bag and the clips 22 so that the plates are held in place also by the rivets 24 as best shown in Fig. 6. It will be obvious that this construction provides for swinging movements of the legs I1, about the axis of the rivets 24, while the pivot plates 2| serve to prevent any wear upon the sides of the bag itself by such movements. It is desirable, of course, that the plates 2| do not turny even though held by a single rivet 24 for each, and for this purpose I turn in the corners of the plates 2| and imbed them slightly in the bag as indicated at 26.

Above these pivoted and attached loops I9 the stand legs are turned angularly upward and rearward in the form of actuating arms or levers and a short distance rearward of the bag the extremities of these arms 21 are turned toward each other into transverse and axial alignment. For connecting the arms 21 I provide the mechanism best shown in Fig. 5 wherein it will be noted that the in-turned extremities 28 are passed through diametrical bores 29 in balls 30 and are upset at 3| inwardly of the balls to prevent the escape of the latter. The balls 30 are then joined by a sleeve 32, the ends of which are peened or curved around the balls at 33 thus holding the same against opposite movement outward from the sleeve, while providing for a universal pivoting motion between the respective arms 21.

This connecting structure between the two sides of the stand is located immediately to the rear of the upper end of the bag and the sleeve 32 is connected by means of a loop 34 to a shoulder strap 35, the lower end of which is conventionally attached at 36 to the bag some distance from its upper end. 'I'his upper end of the strap which is attached to sleeve 32 is provided with a handle 31 and in addition the bag is also provided with a conventional carrying handle 38 for use whenever desired.

The flat rear surface I5 of the bag forms a convenient mounting for a guide and stop bracket of suitable sheet material, designated generally at 39, and which is attached by rivets 40 at upper and lower ends to the bag. From its lower end portion 4 I, where it lies flat against the bag, the bracket 39 angles upward and rearward away from the bag for some distance at 42 before being turned forward again at 43 to meet the flat upper end 44 which also rests against and is riveted to the bag. This bracket 39 is slotted at its center 45 and arranged in this slot is a retainer spring 46 riveted at its lower end at 41 to the bracket as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The upper end of the spring 46 is curved forward and downward at 48 and the extremity 49 lies freely beneath the upper portion 43 of the bracket. Also associated with the bracket 39 is an angular stop 50 held in place by the upper rivets 40 as shown in Fig. 4 and over-lying the upper end of the spring 46.

In the normal position of the parts the legs |1 hang in vertical positions close against the sides of the bag and the arms 21 incline upwardly and rearwardly so that the loop encircled sleeve 32 stands against the stop 50 where it is yieldably held by the rounded portion 48 of the spring 46. This is best shown in Fig. 4 and it will be apparent that this contact of the spring with the connected ends of the arms 21 will hold the stand parts in these desired normal positions without any tendency for them to swing about or rattle. If the golfer then sets the bag |0 upon the ground and presses downward upon the handle y31 the loop 34 and sleeve 32 may be readily forced down over the spring 46, which swings freely inward to clear, and the resulting downward motion of the arms 21 will swing the legs I1 about the pivots 24 to thrust the legs forward and outward to their unfolded positions of Fig. 2. This motion is limited by contact of the loop 34 with the lower end 4| of bracket 39 and when the parts assume this position the golf bag will form one part of a tripod so that it is firmly held in the inclined position illustrated in the drawing. It is to be noted that the angular relationship of the side portions I3 of the bag and the resulting angular relationship of the axes of the respective pivots 24 causes the legs I1 to diverge as they are swung to their unfolded positions in order to provide the wide bearing necessary for the stable support of the bag. When the bag is again picked up by the golfer, grasping the strap 35, the weight of the bag and clubs 1s sufficient to cause this action to automatically raise the arms 21 back to their normal positions to refold the stand and again latch it by means of the spring 46 as will be clearly understood. It may be desirable in order to insure that the legs I1 will not rub against the sides of the bag to slightly incline the pivot plates 2| so that they stand outward some distance of the bag sides as designated at 5| in Fig. 8.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a golf bag and stand of simple and inexpensive construction and have in particular provided a stand which is not only durable and foolproof in operation but is neat and attractive in appearance.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claim. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

i golf bag and stand of the character described, comprising in combination, a bag having a top, bottom, front and back and having opposed side surfaces converging toward the back, a stand for supporting the bag in a generally upright position and said stand including legs normally extending lengthwise along said side surfaces, means pivoting the upper end portions of the legs to said side surfaces adjacent the upper end of the bag whereby as the legs are swung forwardly about said pivot means the legs will diverge and With the bag form a tripod support, the upper end portions of the legs above said pivot means being bent angularly upwardly and rearwardly and then turned toward each other back of the bag, balls pivotally mounted on the adjacent extremities of these upper gids of the legs, a sleeve extending between and having bearing engagement with said balls whereby said legs may be swung in unison about said pivot means by the sleeve, a strap secured to the sleeve and to a relatively lower point on the bag, and a retainer spring secured to the upper rear portion of the bag and having an upper end positioned to engage the sleeve when the legs are swung to their normal positions and to releasably hold the legs in such position.

WALTER. SANDS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 443,097 Kim Dec. 23, 1890 1,167,599 Sanford Jan. 11, 1916 1,890,362 Bellow Dec. 6, 1932 1,925,493 Motelet Sept. 5, 1933 1,954,413 Hunter Apr. 10, 1934 2,449,171 Matthews Sept. 14, 1948 

